Updated 24 January to include second batch of papers
The first batch of papers for next month’s meeting of the Church of England’s General Synod are now available online. The remaining papers will be issued on 24 January and I will add links when these become available.
Papers with a note of the day scheduled for their consideration are listed below the fold. Synod meets from Monday 10 to Thursday 13 February in London.
The Agenda is here and the Report by the Business Committee (Guide to the February 2020 group of sessions) is here.
Synod members reading this might like to note that the deadline for the submission of questions is 12 noon on Wednesday 29 January 2020.
9 CommentsThe Fence Diary of an Urban Parson
The Reverend J J Cowan goes on a ‘modulated exploratory learning course’.
Mtr Kate St Chrysostom’s Church News and Views Compassion easier than Justice …
Simon Butler ViaMedia.News Living in Love & Faith – The Importance of Speaking the Truth
Stephen Parsons Surviving Church The Church’s Dark Secret – Reflections
36 CommentsThe BBC has transmitted a two-part television documentary programme:
Exposed: The Church’s Darkest Secret.
The Church of England has issued two press releases. The first one was issued last week, the second one yesterday after both episodes had been shown:
BBC2 documentary on Peter Ball
Response to BBC 2 documentary on Peter Ball from the Bishop of Bath & Wells, Peter Hancock
The Bishop of Gloucester, Rachel Treweek, has also issued a response (includes video).
Media coverage includes:
Guardian Friendship with Prince Charles made paedophile bishop Peter Ball ‘impregnable’
Church Times Bishops shamed by BBC documentary
33 CommentsAdrian Chiles The Guardian My atheist family was appalled when I converted to Catholicism – but it’s given me great peace
Stephen Parsons Surviving Church Taking stock in 2020. Where is the Church going with Safeguarding?
Private Eye Silence of the Lambeth
Richard Harries Church Times Coming in from the outside
“In the second of a series of articles exploring apologetics in a secular age, Richard Harries considers what it might mean to know God”
David Walker ViaMedia.News All Things Considered….Including ‘Living in Love & Faith’
10 CommentsUpdated Monday
Second Church Estates Commissioner: Andrew Selous MP
The appointment of Andrew Selous MP as Second Church Estates Commissioner.
Published 10 January 2020
From: Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street and Andrew Selous MPThe Queen has approved the appointment of Mr Andrew Selous MP as Second Church Estates Commissioner.
Notes to Editors
Andrew Selous has been a Member for South West Bedfordshire since 2001. He is a confirmed member of the Church of England.
There is information on the role of the Second Church Estates Commissioner here. The Commissioner’s primary parliamentary role is to answer oral and written questions from MPs about Church of England matters.
Update
Church Times has more information: Andrew Selous is new Second Church Estates Commissioner.
6 CommentsUpdated
Three articles from the Anglican Communion Office:
Changing the way the Anglican Communion communicates
A look ahead at 2020 for the Anglican Communion Office
Anglican Primates gather in Jordan for “very strategic meeting” ahead of Lambeth Conference
Anglican Primates meet with King Abdullah II and Heads of Churches in Jordan
The Church Times has this report:
‘Grown-up’ Primates’ Meeting affirms Anglican links with Canterbury
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David Taylor A Blaze of Light Mixed-Mode or Residential? I’ve Done Both
Richard Harries Church Times Belief in a sceptical society
“In the first of three articles exploring apologetics in a secular age, Richard Harries surveys how life has changed since the 1960s”
Peter Anthony Saint Benet’s Kentish Town Christmas Attendance Statistics
The same title but two very different views of the year ahead
David Baker Christian Today What will happen to the Church of England and Anglicans in 2020?
Jayne Ozanne ViaMedia.News What Will Happen to the Church of England and Anglicans in 2020?
The Bishop of Ludlow, the Rt Revd Alistair Magowan, has announced he will retire at the end of April.
1 CommentRose Hudson-Wilkin The Voice Rev Rose Hudson-Wilkin gives New Year message to Voice readers
“The Bishop of Dover says we can live out the meaning of togetherness as we begin 2020”
Rose Hudson-Wilkin Vogue On Becoming Britain’s First Black Female Bishop
Stephen Parsons Surviving Church Thinking about conservative Christianity and divisions
Giles Fraser UnHerd What’s the point of civil partnerships?
“Let’s not pretend that cancelling marriage will eradicate the power imbalances of sexual politics”
In the days immediately following Christmas Day, the Daily Telegraph published several articles by Gabriella Swerling and others about Jonathan Fletcher. They are all behind a paywall, but the Telegraph does allow you to read one a week if you register. Otherwise you are restricted to reading the first couple of paragraphs, but this will give a slight flavour of what they are all about.
Some other papers have reported on the Telegraph’s articles.
Mail Online Church of England vicar, 77, could face criminal probe after alleged abuse victims claim they endured naked ice baths, beatings and massages
Christian Today Criminal inquiry a possibility for vicar accused of spiritual abuse
Church Times Press: Jonathan Fletcher’s victims speak out
Church Times Lessons-learnt review is launched into Jonathan Fletcher
Patheos Victims of sadistic evangelical priest want police to investigate
Premier London vicar Rev Jonathan Fletcher could face criminal inquiry
And there has been comment.
Stephen Parsons Surviving Church Peter Ball and Jonathan Fletcher. A toxic legacy?
Reacting to the Jonathan Fletcher story – the Great Silence
Martin Sewell Archbishop Cranmer Jonathan Fletcher presents the Church of England with a crisis of integrity
Kate Bowler Washington Post We are not divine. But we are loved. That is enough.
Paul Bayes ViaMedia.News A ‘Low & Dishonest’ Decade?
The Guardian reports on this and other New Year messages.
Stephen Parsons Surviving Church Who wants to be an English Bishop?
Simon Jenkins The Guardian To survive, Britain’s churches need to learn from our cathedrals
Diarmaid MacCulloch The Guardian Why Christianity has been struggling with sex ever since the Nativity
91 CommentsThe 2020 edition of the Church Representation Rules is now available online. As we noted earlier this 2020 edition presents an entirely new text of the Church Representation Rules, replacing the previous Rules established in 1969 and amended numerous times over the following fifty years. They come into effect on 1 January 2020 so, for example, they will apply to the 2020 annual parochial church meeting and to the revision of the electoral roll which must precede that annual meeting.
13 CommentsArchdruid Eileen The Beaker Folk of Husborne Crawley God Enters the God-Made World
Stephen Parsons Surviving Church The Archbishop-designate and Christian Concern – some thoughts.
The Archbishop of Canterbury‘s 2019 Ecumenical Christmas Letter
Philip Baldwin Gay Times LGBTQ Christians desperately want and need full inclusion
8 CommentsThe Church of England issued the press release below today. It appears to be in response to an article in Private Eye which was tweeted here yesterday.
Update on Safe Spaces following media report
21/12/2019
A spokesperson for the National Safeguarding Team said: “Safe Spaces is planned as a vital support service for survivors of church-related abuse across the Church of England and the Catholic Church in England and Wales.
“The delay in progressing the support service, first officially discussed in 2014, is a matter of regret which the Church of England acknowledges and apologises for. But since the appointment of a project manager and the creation of the Safe Spaces Management Board last year eight survivor representatives from across both Churches are involved in ensuring we find the right organisation to deliver the project.
“Their knowledge, skill and personal experience in shaping the model for Safe Spaces alongside their commitment and support for the procurement process is integral to finding the right organisation to deliver the project.
“All grant money from both churches and ATL has been ring fenced for the project and no money from the £592,000 grant has been spent to date, and no new company has been set up. Pre set-up costs, procurement, project management and development are separate to this and the cost is being shared across both Churches.
“Following an initial procurement process, the Board has agreed that it would not be recommending the appointment of a preferred supplier to deliver the project; this decision was taken in partnership with the survivor representatives.
“Over the coming weeks the Board in partnership with survivors will agree the next steps and the best way forward. Survivor voices remain central to any future success of this new service and their welfare and support is an absolute priority for the Church in its continuing safeguarding work.
“Both churches are committed to supporting survivors of church-related abuse and providing an independent national service for survivors of any form of church-related abuse.”
35 CommentsSome more Christmas Messages posted by the Anglican Communion News Service
Archbishops Richard Clarke and Eamon Martin, The Anglican Church of Ireland and the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland
Archbishop Paul Kwong, The Anglican Church of Hong Kong
Archbishop Linda Nicholls, The Anglican Church of Canada
Archbishop John Davies, The Church in Wales
Andrew Brown Church Times How smartphones have changed the news
Peter Leonard ViaMedia.News An Everyday Christmas….?
1 CommentSome Christmas Messages posted by the Anglican Communion News Service
Archbishop Philip Freier, Primate of Australia
Presiding Bishop Michael Curry [also available here]
Archbishop Datuk Ng Moon Hing, Archbishop of the Province of South East Asia
Stephen Parsons Surviving Church Christians pulled in two directions – reconciling opposites.
Archdruid Eileen The Beaker Folk of Husborne Crawley Needing a Wee on the First Day of the Week
Jayne Ozanne Viamedia.News A Tale of Two Kitties
3 Comments10 Downing Street has announced that the next Archbishop of York will be Stephen Cottrell, currently Bishop of Chelmsford.
Archbishop of York: Stephen Geoffrey Cottrell
The Queen has nominated the Right Reverend Stephen Geoffrey Cottrell, MA, the Lord Bishop of Chelmsford, to the See and Archbishopric of York, in succession to the Most Reverend and Right Honourable Dr John Tucker Mugabi Sentamu, MA, Lord Archbishop of York, who retires on 7th June 2020.
Stephen was educated at the Polytechnic of Central London and trained for ministry at St Stephen’s House, Oxford. He served his title at Christ Church and St Paul’s, Forest Hill in the Diocese of Southwark and was ordained Priest in 1985. He studied for an MA with St Mellitus College which was awarded through Middlesex University.
In 1988, Stephen was appointed Priest-in-charge, St Wilfrid’s in the Diocese of Chichester with the additional role of Assistant Director of Pastoral Studies and Tutor in Apologetics at Chichester Theological College. In 1993, Stephen was appointed Diocesan Missioner and Bishop’s Chaplain for Evangelism in the Diocese of Wakefield and in 1998 he took up the role of Springboard Missioner and Consultant in Evangelism. In 2001, Stephen was appointed Vice Dean and Canon Pastor of Peterborough Cathedral. Stephen was appointed Bishop of Reading in 2004 and took up his current role as Bishop of Chelmsford in 2010.
Stephen is married to Rebecca who is a potter. They have three sons.
Further coverage includes:
Caroline Starkey & Grace Davie LSE Religion and Global Society Silence and Words: Unexpected Responses to a Gay Bishop
The Fence Diary of an Urban Parson
“True and affecting vignettes from the life and times of the Reverend J J Cowan, from which the reader may discern much of the happy state of the Church of England in our nation’s fair capital”
[first of a series]
Lucy Winkett New Statesman It’s always a risk walking around this time of year with a dog collar on. People might ask you things
Simon Butler ViaMedia.News Wellbeing, Leadership and ‘The Other’
36 CommentsThe Business Committee of General Synod has today published the outline agenda for the February Group of Sessions in London.
The published information can be read here and is copied (with slight editing) below the fold.
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